Tree industry licensure

Legislation would bring standards and enforcement

Recently, the Georgia Legislature assigned a resolution to the committee on regulated industries to hold hearings regarding a bill for possible new legislation.

The goal of that legislation would be to bring standards and enforcement to the tree industry in Georgia through required licensure.

GFASTI (“Georgians for a Safer Tree Industry”) is a non-profit dedicated to licensure for tree care operators. The GFASTI Board will likely meet with Chairman Powell and other members of the committee on Regulated Industries before hearings start in September to advocate for licensure. The hearings could lead to the drafting of a bill for licensure.

The prospect of licensure has implications for all stakeholders within the tree care industry, and we believe those stakeholders should have the opportunity to learn about the proposal, and engage as their time and interest permit. Learn more about licensure at www.safertreeindustry.org. If you have specific questions beyond what you can learn from the website, feel free to reach out to the GFASTI President: Tierson Boutte at tierson@bouttetree.com.

GFASTI is willing to entertain input from any source within the industry, including consultants, municipal arborists, utility companies, and others.